Getting out of my own way.
view from the sidelines
I’ve always been quick to start, good at decision making, pretty solid at balanced risks. A friend used to say, “No one’s ever waiting on Michele…” and for sure I’m early or on time, started cleaning/building/cooking it already and read about that new medical research 5 years ago.
What a pain in the ass. I don’t mean to be, but I bet people have rolled their eyes a time or two at my “reliability”.
I’m not sure what my goal was except that I grew up steeped in 80s “time is money” manure and I enjoy researching and problem solving. The more mature I get, I realize that it’s better to sit down somewhere and see if I can conserve energy for something more fulfilling than fixing a drain in a rental house that is in ill repair.
I’ve done so much DIY that I’ve sort of noodled myself into a cranky, tired, lousy mood with nothing left for things I like like cooking good food, looking at nature, seeking good companionship.
I’m going to nurture my prolific idea generating side and not my pack mule side. I’ve had 30 years+ plus of deck building, house painting, tree planting, sink upgrading, furniture flipping, hole digging, compost rolling, chicken culling, restaurant launching—an exhaustive and not always profitable life master class and I’m happy for the knowledge. But I’m done.
This is shelved next to the Fixing Your Life For You Series, Volume I, II and III.
I’m available if people ask me, but I’ll be over here doing the part I’m good at and that I like (creative vision, resourcing, big picture, saving the project money) and outsourcing the stuff I’m competent in but not really (welding, door hanging, framing, hole digging, landscaping, concrete moving, trash hauling) and then I won’t be so spent 85% through the project that I can’t finish, launch or do the thing I had envisioned in the first place.
I was clear about what I wanted for this new house and the attached lot. The owner wasn’t as clear, but was receptive. I sent him pictures of wrought iron gates, drew with chalk on his existing prison looking wall that makes the house a blocked energy nightmare, went to the used metal scrap yard, found three panels sitting right at the front door like they were just for me, got all 3 for $50 and sent pics to the landlord and my location and he drove over and got them and we split the cost. That’s my kind of work buddy.
He got a worker of his sister and hubs (wealthy locals building a wedding venue) who loaned us a guy who installed the gate on Sunday and cleaned up the yard of all the debris and broken glass for the future dog yard. It was great to have 4 people looking at gate panels and a 10 ft wall to contribute ideas. Not just me. Older Mexican engineer father in law with good design ideas and a practical wife, the owner who lives elsewhere and knows the value of having a good tenant happy and assumes I will be and the actual worker telling how he’s going to do it. And of course me saying, nah, that’s too narrow to get in and out of 8 times a day or with groceries etc. and the guys going, ohhhh yea yea that’s true, let’s put it over here.
Anyway, a series of gates…a vestibule if you will, has been started so I can leave and come back to the property without a 6 point negotiation with Rocky and 9 other dogs and a run around the house and lock the gate game.
The doggo yard will be spectacular. And separate. I’m committed to having functional spaces for rescue dogs AND ME. Jumping, agility, private nap huts climbing, digging areas. And I’m going to have kitchen appliances and countertops. I’ve been sitting on paint buckets and washing clothes in same since 2021. It’s time.
This interim casita was cute for a minute but I need some grown up things like a laundry room. I’m not vanlifer chick anymore washing socks in the sink. Get it together. And use that energy for the book? going into the city? finding some donors for kennels? All I know is I’m not overthinking it and I’m asking for help.
*More info on Lola’s Dog Rescue in Sonora MX, linktr.ee/lolasdogrescue
